Improvement in seed-planters



GULD @L FLANDERS.

Seed-Planter.

No. 18,334. Patented Oct. 6,Y 1857.

N.FE'Tans. Pucmumosmpnsn, wAsmNsioN. Dv c.

UNTTED STATES PATENT Grrrcn.

A. M. GOULD AND A. FLANDERS, OF CAMBRIA, NEWT YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEED-PLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 15,33% dated October l, 1857.

To all whom it muy concern,.-

said bars. rlhese handles may be adjusted to Beit known that we, AARON M. GOULD any desired points on the bars A A.

and ALBERT FLlrnDERs, of Cambria, in the l county of Niagara and State of VNew York, have invented a new and improved Machine for Planting Seed; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the saine, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which-w Figure l is a side view otA our improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of one of the seed-hoppers, x .t in Fig. 2 showing the plane of section.` Fig. 4L is also a vertical section of the same, g/ y indicating the plane of section. Fig. 5 is a vertical section or' one of the manure or fertilizer hoppers, y/ y; indicating the plane of section. Fig. 6 is also a vertical section of the manure-hopper, .e .e in Fig. 2 showing the plane of section. of the brush-plate ofthe manure-hopper. Fig. S isa detached view ot' the slides at the bottom of the manure-hopper.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

Our invention consists in a peculiar arrangement of the seed-hoppers, shafts, and rollers, as hereinafter described.

l To enable those skilled in the art to fully A understand and construct our invention7 we will proceed to describe it.

A A represent two parallel bars, the ends of which are connected to a curved bar, B, the forni of which is plainly shown in Fig. 2. The bars B A A constitute the frame ot' the machine. The bars A A are slotted longitudinally, the slots extending the whole length of the bars, and the front end oll the frame is supported by a wheel, C, the axle a of which is litted in proper bearings at the under side ofthe bar B. rlhe back end of the frame is supported by two wheels or rollers, D D,which are placed on a square shaft or axle, E,which extends the whole width of the machine, the shaft or axle having its journals fitted in the lower endsA ot' adjustable pendants F F, attached to the back ends of the curved bar B. The wheels or rollers D D are iitted loosely on the shaft or axle E, and are secured at desired points thereon by keys b. (Seen in Fig. 2.)

G G are two handles, attached to the bars A A by screws c, passing through the slots in Fig. 7 is a detached View H represents a square shaft, the journals of which are iitted in uprights d at the ends of the bar B. The shaft H is parallel with the bars A A, and is placed ashort distance above them, and at a point between the two. The shaft H is rotated from the axle cof the wheel C by nieans of a chain, c, which passes over a cone of pulleys, f, on the shaft H,vand around a cone ot pulleys, g, on the axle a. The cone f is placed loosely on the shaft H, and secured at any desired point thereon by a key, h. The cone Lr/is placed loosely on the axle (aand forms a clutch,which is connected or thrown into and out of gear with the hub of the wheel C by means ot' a lever, I.

J J representtwoseed-hoppers. Thenpper ends of Ythese hoppers are or' ilaring shape,and the lower ends are of rectangular form, and pass down between the barsAA, the bottoms of the hoppers resting upon plates fi, attached to the upper ends ot conveying-spouts j. The bottoms of the hoppers are fitted in recesses 7: in the plates t, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4.. To the i'ront and back sides of the seedhoppers J J flanges l are attached, and screwbolts m pass through said flanges, and also through the ends or' the plates t, the screwbolts passing through the slots of the bars A A. It therefore will be seen that by loosening the screw-bolts m the hoppers J and spouts j may be moved and adjusted nearer together or farther apart, as may be desired. The shaft H passes through the hoppers J J, and on said shaft H, and within each hopper J, a distributing-wheel, K, is placed. rlhese wheels have recesses or holes made in their disks in the usual way, and brushes u, attached to spring-plates o, bear against the periphery ot' the wheels, one on each side, as shownin Fig. 3. At the sides or edges of the wheels K tlan ges p are formed-one at each side of each wheel-and to the inner sides of each hopper a plate, q, is attached. rlhe lower ends of these plates are cut in semicircular form, and iit over the wheels just inside the lianges p, as shown clearly in Fig. 4f. The plates q, i'tting over the flanges p, prevent the seed from passing down between the wheels K and sides of the hoppers J. In :most seeding-machines, when rotating distributing wheels are enployed, broken seed, grit, &c., will nd its way between the wheels and the sides of the hoppers, and considerable friction will be caused thereby, and in many cases seedv will escape from the hoppers down between the sides of the wheels K and the sides of the hoppers. The iianges on the wheels and thelower ends of the plates fitting over the wheels inside the anges eftectually prevent this. The lower ends ofthe spoutsj are curved so as to form shares, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

L represents a hopper, which is secured to the bars A A in precisely the saine way as the hoppers J J. Two h oppers L areintended to be used, but only one is shown in the drawings. Vithin the hopper L and upon the shaft H a wheel, M, is placed. This wheel has a corrugated periphery, as shown clearly in Figs. 5 and 8, and the corrugations may be oblique or angular with the shaft H.

To the inner side of the hopper L a platen; is attached, and this plate extends down, and is bent in a horizontal position, as shown at s, Fig. 6, and then inclined, as seen at t. The inclined portion t is slotted, and the wheeli projects through the slot in said inclined portion t. The lower end of the inclined portion ofthe plate fr is connected with a plate, a, attached to the inner side of the frontend of the hopper L. The upper end of this plate u is connected to the hopper by a screw, o, which passes through a slot in the plate, and the lower end of the plate a has a brush attached to it.

To the upper surface of the horizontal part s of the plate fr two plates,w ai, are attached by a set-screw, a. The upper ends of these plates are placed one over the other, and the screw a passes through oblong slots cut in each plate. The lower parts of the plates w are inclined corresponding to the inclination of the part t of the plate r. The lower inclined parts of the plates fw are reduced in width, being not more than one-third as wide as the upper parts, and the narrow parts are placed each side of the wheel M. It will be seen that by raising the plate u the inclined portion tof the plate r may be raised, and consequently by adjusting the plate u a greater or less degree of inclination may be given to the bottom of the hopper, and by adjusting the plates w w laterally the width of the opening through which the wheel M projects may be enlarged or contracted, as desired. This adj ustinent of the plates Iw, in connection with the radjustment-of the plate r, allows a greater or less quantity of fertilizing material-such as gypsum, lime, guano, bone-dust, Srcto be sowed with the seed, and constitutes aperfeet regulating device.

N represents the conveyingspout of the hopper L. The lower end of this spout terminates just behind the share ol' the spoutj. (Seen in Figs. 1, 4, and 5.) By having the spoutN arranged in this way the fertilizing material will not be in contact with the seed, for, in consequence of having the lower end of the spoutN behind the share, the seed is partially covered before the fertilizing material passes out of the spout N. This is an important feature of the inventioinbecause most fertilizers have a tendency to injure and destroy the gerininating principle of the seed.

As regards the operation of the seeddistributing wheels K, it is precisely the saine as that of ordinary machines in which rotating wheels are used. The same may be said ot' the wheel M in the hopper L.

Ve do not claim adjustable hoppers irrespective ofthe arrangement herein shown, for adjustable hoppers have been previously used; but,

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

The within-described arrangement of shaft H and hoppers I I and L with shaft E and rollers D D.

A. M. GOULD. A. FLANDERS. lVitnesses:

JACOB HALL, JOHN ANDnRsoN. 

